Minecraft is a huge game that can be pretty overwhelming for new players. There are plenty of systems at play here, and it's easy to get lost in the myriad of menus and mechanics that players will encounter when they first load into a world.
As intimidating as things may seem at first, Minecraft becomes much more enjoyable once players get a grasp of the basics. This guide covers a handful of tips that should help you make yourself more comfortable while playing.
Minecraft: Things To Do If You're Bored
Players who have been playing a lot of Minecraft and getting bored should try out these fun new activities to spice things up.
These tips were tried and tested in the Java edition of Minecraft.
Violence Isn't Always The Answer
While you will absolutely need to fight things in order to survive in Minecraft, you don't always have to do so. Sometimes, the best way out of a sticky situation is to build barriers between you and monsters — no fancy weapons needed.
With that being said, it's a good idea to have a stack of building blocks in your inventory, whether it's dirt, wood, or something else that's easy to get. When things get hairy, build some walls between you and your enemies, and use your newfound safe space to heal up and plan (unless you're getting chased by a Creeper).
The Many Uses of Torches
Torches are for more than just lighting places up. They actually have quite a few uses that new players likely won't know about:
- Torches prevent monsters from spawning within its light radius.
- Torches can break stacks of gravel or sand if you place one underneath them.
- You can make short-lived air pockets underwater by placing a torch.
- You can build off of torches.
- Torches can melt ice and snow.
Best Tools to Make First in Minecraft
When you're starting a new world, make a Wooden Pickaxe first so you can start mining stone. Then, make a set of stone tools (pickaxe, axe, hoe, shovel). These are much more effective than wooden tools, and they'll save you a lot of time on your first day.
With a set of stone tools, you'll be well on your way to making iron equipment. Here are some more important items that you should try finding or making:
- Cobblestone (or any kind of stone) to make Furnaces
- Iron ore for iron tools (prioritize Buckets for getting liquids and Shears so you can make a bed)
- Coal for Torches
Eventually, aim to upgrade your tools via Enchantments to make your usual routines more efficient.
Don't Dig Straight Down
This is a well-known practice among experienced players: when you're exploring underground, never dig straight down. You never know if you're actually standing on the roof of a big cave, so it's best to dig diagonally downwards in order to avoid unnecessary deaths.
How to Get Unlimited Water
You can actually get an infinite amount of water with nothing but a bucket and a 2x2 square hole. All you need to do is fill the hole with water and make sure that you're getting water from the middle point of the hole instead of the sides. Minecraft's water simulation is weird, so instead of reducing the amount of water in the hole when you scoop some up, it just won't.
Water Elevators
Speaking of weird water simulation, you can place some water down next to a ledge, and it will spill and stretch all the way down. You can use these water tunnels as a means of ascending or descending from long heights, such as those found in caves. This method is much more efficient than making ladders or digging tunnels. Feel free to decorate and design your Water Elevators to make them look fancier.
Cook with Campfires
Instead of using Furnaces to cook food, use Campfires instead. These don't use fuel, and they can cook up to four food items at once. However, you'll need to get a Flint and Steel in order to light Campfires if they ever get extinguished
How to Clear Grass Fast
If you want to get rid of grass before you start building something, you have two options:
- Pour water over an area
- Use Flint and Steel to burn grass away
Water will destroy any grass it comes into contact with, which means you can use a bucket to dump water over a potential build site and get rid of grass that way (you can scoop the water back up with an empty bucket).
Alternatively, you can just burn everything in an area with Flint and Steel. This is better if you want to clear a much larger area of unwanted clutter, and you can even clear entire forests with it. If you don't want the fire to spread uncontrollably, build some fire walls around the area you want to clear before setting anything on fire.
How to Deal with Creepers
Creepers can blow themselves up to deal damage to you and nearby blocks, making them a pain to deal with. Apart from using hit and run tactics or ranged weapons to take them down before they explode, you can also do the following:
- Place any block between you and the Creeper to prevent any damage to you.
- When the Creeper starts flashing, dump some water over it to keep it from destroying nearby blocks.
With that being said, keep them away from open fires. They will detonate if they come into contact with flames.
Using Environmental Damage
Speaking of open fires, you can use environmental hazards like flames, lava, and even anvils as weapons. If you're getting swarmed by monsters underground, build yourself a safe spot and either dump some lava over your enemies or light them on fire with Flint and Steel. If you want to be creative, you can place an Anvil over a solid block, then break that solid block to make the Anvil fall on someone. Sand works the same way as well.
If all else fails, never underestimate the effectiveness of a deep hole and a long fall.
How to Heal in Minecraft
Early on, your best source of healing is any sort of cooked food. You will passively regenerate health as long as your Hunger level is close to full, but if you want a more instantaneous shot of healing, you can try the following:
- Craft Golden Apples with Apples and Golden Nuggets to get instant healing items.
- Brew a Nether Wart and Glistering Melon Slice into a Bottle of Water at a Brewing Stand to make a Potion of Healing
- Make Suspicious Stew with Oxeye Daisies to get a meal variant that provides Regeneration.
Minecraft
- Released
- November 18, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
- Mojang
- Publisher(s)
- Mojang
- Engine
- LWJGL, PROPRIETARY ENGINE
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op, Online Multiplayer
- Franchise
- Minecraft
- Number of Players
- 1-4
- Split Screen Orientation
- Vertical or Horizontal
- Genre(s)
- Sandbox, Survival
- Platform(s)
- 3DS, Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Wii U, PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PS Vita, Xbox One, Xbox 360
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
- How Long To Beat
- 129 Hours
- X|S Optimized
- No
- File Size Xbox Series
- 1.42 GB (August 2024)
